Get the latest news and updates from Dawn
LONDON: An English court threw out a challenge on Friday against planning permission for a Chinese “mega” embassy in central London, but residents seeking to block the contentious project vowed to fight on.
A campaign group of local residents and businesses had taken their case to the High Court, backed by opposition politicians and Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, asking for the government decision to be re-examined.
They argued the government had not listened to their fears about the impact of the vast new embassy next to the Tower of London, including the heightened risk of a terror attack, of espionage and the harassment of dissidents.
But after a hearing this month, two judges on Friday dismissed the claims, saying the housing minister had acted lawfully by granting planning permission in January. The judgement only considered whether the government had acted lawfully, not the merits of the planning decision.
